Burger Time

This would be an example of many individual elements coming together to form one fantastic image.

I Play Well With Boys

Top 20 Gayest Video Game Characters

I Knew It!

Photographic evidence that Ronald McDonald eats children. And furthermore, clowns are evil.

Good One, Liberal Veteran

I saw a great bumper sticker yesterday that read, "We are making enemies faster than we can kill them!"

A Scanner Darkly Review

HIGHS

• There's no denying how amazing this film looks. The best way I can describe it is sort of a living paint-by-numbers book. It's very obvious that a lot of time was spent covering the live action footage with a captivating and unique visual style.
• This is probably the best bit of acting Keanu Reeves has ever done.
• Much of the soundtrack was well done.
• The trailer for The Science of Sleep ran before the movie (this would be the high point of the evening.)
  

LOWS

• As fantastic as the film looks, it's a shame so many people spent so much time on something so... meaningless. I really wanted to like Scanner Darkly. I've been looking forward to it for months now; since I first saw the trailer online. Unfortunately I left the theatre disappointed.
• The film was all over the place with no clear direction. It had a point, sure, the war on drugs is a bitch. I get that, but I knew that going in. At no point did the movie make me feel for its characters. I disliked each and every one of them and didn't care at all about what they were going through. There was nothing to make me sympathize with them or wish they had things better. I was left completely underwhelmed by the entire experience.
• I'm willing to be very patient with a movie if I get the impression it's going somewhere. I knew it wasn't a good sign when after the first hour I started thinking about sneaking next door to catch the rest of Pirates. I'll flat out say it: A Scanner Darkly has little to no pay-off. The point they attempted to get across could have been summed up nicely in a 90-second PSA. In fact, with the clever animation style it would have no doubt been more effective that way.
• If you want a good "drugs are bad" movie, watch Requiem For A Dream.
  

Torrey's Opinion:
5- Strongly Recommended
4- Recommended
3- A Mixed Bag
2- Sub-par
1- Don't Bother


Random related fact: Charlie Kaufman wrote a script for A Scanner Darkly that was effectively thrown out when Richard Linklater became involved. I think a solid bit of advice for any young director would be to never pass over a Charlie Kaufman script.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Review

HIGHS

• The short version here is if you liked Pirates of the Caribbean, I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy its sequel. The themes and humor are carried over nicely and all the important players are back for the second act.
• After the completely unexpected success of the first film, due in no small part to Johnny Depp's highly entertaining performance, a fear of mine going into Dead Man's Chest was that it would become something of a Jack Sparrow Comedy Show with endless over-the-top pratfalls and zingers. I was pleased to see that Capt. Jack was kept very much in check and the supporting cast gets a generous amount of screen time to boot.
• Easily some of the best special effects I've seen in any movie. Davy Jones in particular looks astonishingly realistic. It's always refreshing when a big budget film uses effects to enhance the story, not the other way around. I'm looking directly at you, Mr. Lucas.
• The film has a cliffhanger ending (with a surprise guest!) that can be enjoyed because we all know the 3rd chapter has already been filmed. No, Capt. Jack isn't sent back to the Wild West when his DeLorean is struck by lighting.
• This is, for all intents and purposes, what a summer blockbuster should be.
  

LOWS

• While Dead Man's Chest is very entertaining, the script isn't nearly as tight as the first one. This film meanders quite a bit and, much like Jack, doesn't seem to quite have its bearings a lot of the time.
• I still can't shake this feeling that Keira Knightley is faking her accent!
• I wish to institute a 3 Rum Joke Limit for all pirate films from this point forward.
  

Torrey's Opinion:
5- Strongly Recommended
4- Recommended
3- A Mixed Bag
2- Sub-par
1- Don't Bother

Random related fact: This film marks the first time Johnny Depp has ever reprised a previous role.

Racism You Can Take Anywhere!

What in the world was Sony thinking with this ad?